Court orders Goa taxis to install e-meters

Praise the lordships!

Anyone who’s landed up in Goa and felt suckered by the overcharging taxis must celebrate this piece of new. After years of tussle with the government and tourists, the state’s taxis will finally operate under a regulated tariff structure. This means that all taxis will have to install electronic meters and charge only what the meter says.

This big win for tourists comes courtesy the Bombay High Court at Goa, which ordered the government to follow its own notification from 2015, which mandates e-meters. While the government had fixed fare slabs for taxis two years ago, the implementation had been lax. And with no meters in place, tourists continued to be fleeced. Now, the court has asked the government to implement the order with immediate effect, and the state’s transport department is reportedly planning a crackdown on drivers that don’t charge by the meter.

However, those hoping for fleet cabs in Goa will have to wait. In August, the government said it has no plans to allow operators like Uber and Ola in the state.